Wichita eagle., 1887-11-17
THE GREAT CITIES.
KANSAS CITY, OMAHA AND WlCH'
TIA.
Kansas City's President Of the Board Of
Trade Prophesies 100000 People
for Wichita.

1t is difficult matter for Wichita
business man, as such, to ges an opinion or
frank expression from a representative
Kansas City man touching the Peerless
Princess, her present or her future. But
President Allen, of the Kansas City Board
of Trade, appears to be man of more
than ordinary breadth who is Influenced
by no marrow rivalries or unwor-
thy prejudices. Although probably not
aware of the relation of his interviewer to
this paper in the conversation Tuesday, he
knew that the gentleman was Kansan
and well posted as to Wichita's business
and growth President Allen said that of
Wichita's present and future there was
no longer any question that much
sooner than many had any idea
Wichita would sweep up to two
hundred or two hundred and fifty thou
sand population, and that only ignorant or
prejudiced people could possibly assert
anything to the contrary. That not only
| Wichita's phenomenal growth, but that
| her volume of daily business, wholesale
and retail, as evidenced by commercial
channels and bank clearings fully demon
strated her title to the claim made as one
of the important commercial cities of the
west. Mr.. Allen then went on to say that
! Kansas City and Wichita are rivals, only
| in the sense that Kansas City and Chicago
| are rivals, that Wichita was in a line with
| these two cities, and that while Wichita
has magnificent territory of her own
with the most prosperous tributary towns
| in the west that yet Chicago, Kansas City
and Wichita were in the same channel of
| commerce, and that their interests would
| largely run together. As for the future cities
of the west he thought Kansas City, Omaha
and Wichita without question will be the
three great cities west of the Mississippi
river and the lakes, but that with the open
ing of the territory Wichita and Kansas
City will enjoy permanent advantages
which Omaha can never have from any ter
ritory which it will be possible for that city
to reach. President Allen might Of added
that that portion of the territory which
will be first opened to settlement lies i'm
medately south and southwest of Wichita.
| Into that part of the territory from Nlchl-
! anvil the Missouri Pacific push its kiowa
branch, as the Southern Kansas already
has DONE and, into that part of the terri
tory will the Wichita branch of the Chi
cago and Rock Island push from Caldwell,
while the Wichita branch of the Santa Fe
now runs through one portion of it. In
the mean time the Gould system is com
ing rapidly up the valley to Wicn-
ia from Memphis, by way of Little
Rock, Fl. Smith and Fl. Gibson while
the Union Pacific will push down to
Wichita within year and on into the
| Territory In the meantime the San Fran.
| cisco is reaching out at the rate of two
miles day from Wichita for northwest
ern Kansas. And he might have farther
added that these extensions from Wichita
cannot stop IN the Territory, but that they
must inevitably 60 on, some of them into
the Panhandle and Northwestern Texas
and others down to the gulf. That, in
short, the logic of Wichita's environments,
the multiplied advantages Of her location
all point to one definite and irrefutable
ultimatum, a great city.